Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Well, I have been at Westlake Chemical one year today! Can you believe I left Dallas something like fourteen months ago?! I can hardly believe it- it seems like yesterday and it seems like ten years ago. I remember my first day very well. I came in and met with my HR person, his name was Luke and he's no longer here... anyway, I met him in the lobby and he took me down to the floor where my department was located. They were doing major renovations up on the 5th floor, so the entire department was being held in one big room on the 4th. I walked in and everyone was sitting at tables- set up like a classroom. I walked in and everyone looked up at me- just like I was the new kid in school.... and when Luke introduced me, I felt like I was watching that scene from Hope Floats, when Bernice goes to the new school in Texas. She walked in, everyone was staring at her, she's standing with the principal and the teacher gets up and says "Class, we have a new student today. This is Bernice, from Chicago! Everyone say hello to Bernice! "... and you hear the grudging "HELLO Bernice" come from all the kids... and then the teacher sees an empty desk and says, "Bernice, we have a desk all set for you- go sit next to Julie... Julie, raise your hand"... and Julie raises her hand and flings it back down... and Bernice starts that quiet walk to her desk, and she has her backpack and lunch pail and she just seems very overloaded- and you pray she doesn't trip or say something to make all the other kids laugh at her... and everyone is still watching her and the silence fills the room. It's terrifying! I have been the new kid before- starting in a new school and it's JUST LIKE THAT! YEAH that was just like my first day here! I SO felt like Bernice. But things quickly picked up and I love my job now. I like my coworkers and my boss very much. They hired a supervisor here too about two months ago and I like her as well. We are all one big happy family - ha ha ha. No really, for the most part, we are. My first Westlake employee review is on Thursday- so cross your fingers. I hope I get a raise! :) Karyn